Cities seek World Heritage status for ancient sea route

Legislators in Guangzhou are drafting laws to protect ruins and relics relating to the maritime Silk Road as the city government prepares to apply to UNESCO for world cultural heritage status for the ancient trade route.

The bid, which will be made together with nine other cities in China including Nanjing, will cover six historic sites in the capital of Guangdong province.

Guanzhou's heritage includes Nanyue Kingdom Palace, the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Guangxiao Temple, the Light Pagoda at Huaisheng Mosque, the Muslim tombs near Jiefang North Road and the Temple of the South Sea God and the wharf.

The city government's preparatory work started in 2007 when officials in Guangzhou began to plan the steps needed for the sites to be inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list.

The maritime Silk Road, which was first used in the Han Dynasty, had two routes - over the East China Sea to the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and by the South China Sea to Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean and then onto various countries around the Arabian Gulf.

Guangzhou was one of the most important starting points for the South China Sea route. Silk, porcelain and tea were sent from China, while imported commodities included a variety of spices and flowers.

The maritime Silk Road was viewed as an alternative to the overland Silk Road. Due to the scourge of war in the last half of the 8th century, trade along the maritime route increased substantially, while traffic on the land route diminished.

According to local officials, the city government will finish all preparatory work by May 2015, which will be appraised by experts from the national heritage administration and the UNESCO.

If the bid is successful, Guangzhou will have its first world heritage site and the maritime Silk Road would be recognized for historical significance similar to the overland road, according to local experts.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn